Microsoft Word Public Procurement Procedures Handbook Final version January 2013

participants to compete and results in a higher number of more competitive bids. 
17.4 The time set for the bid opening should, without exception, be that is set as the 
deadline for submission, with no gap between the two. 
17.5 Bid opening should never be on a Monday or a day immediately preceding a 
public holiday, as many foreign bidders will chose to submit their bids through an 
international courier company. These companies will collect documents over the 
weekend or holiday period but they will not deliver them until the next working day. 
Therefore time should be allowed for the courier company to make the delivery. 
Bid Opening Committee
Bid Opening Committee
Bid Opening Committee
Bid Opening Committee
17.6 The Bid Opening Committee should be chaired by the Chair of the Tenders 
Committee assisted by the Secretary and Finance Officer. The Chair is responsible 
for reading out the relevant details of each bid or proposal. The Secretary physically 
opens the bids, passes them to the Chair, and records details in the minutes (if there 
are a large number of bids, another person can be tasked with taking down the 
minutes). The Finance Officer will be responsible for checking the presence, amount 
and form of any securities that are required. 
Bid Opening Preparation 
Bid Opening Preparation 
Bid Opening Preparation 
Bid Opening Preparation
17.7 The venue should be checked on the day before the bid opening to ensure that 
everything is in order for the following day. The top table where the bids will be 

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opened should be arranged so that it is facing the attendees. The nearest chairs for 
attendees should be at least three meters away from the top table – so that they 
cannot read confidential details of their competitors’ bids.
17.8 The venue should have adequate lighting and ventilation, and if a PA system is 
available it should works properly. It is not possible to know in advance how many 
people will turn up to a public bid opening; it depends on the amount of commercial 
and public interest the procurement has generated. As a common rule, three chairs 
for each bidding document sold should be provided. 
17.9 Signs describing the bid opening with directions to the room should be shown on 
all the entrances to the building and compound where the opening is taking place. 
Also, any security personnel controlling access to the location should be instructed to 
admit anyone who wishes to attend – for this reason, sensitive locations should not be 
chosen for bid openings as access must not be restricted.
17.10 On the day of the bid opening, the tender box shall be closed at the hour set 
and the tender box should be transferred still locked and sealed to the venue for bid 
opening. The PE should make sure that someone stays at the box’s original location 
up to the deadline for submission, so that any bidder or consultant delivering by hand 
can be directed to the tender box at the bid opening venue.
17.11 The PE should also ensure that at the entrance to the room where the bid 
opening is being held, there is a table and chair, and a register has been prepared in 
advance showing details like the name, title, address, e-mail and facsimile number, 
for each attendee to fill out. Details should be recorded so that attendees could be 
sent copies of the bid opening minutes. 
Bid Opening Steps 
Bid Opening Steps 
Bid Opening Steps 
Bid Opening Steps
17.12 At exactly the time scheduled for the deadline for submission of bids, the 
Chairman of the Bid Opening Committee should declare the expiry of the deadline for 
submission of bids and that no further bids will be accepted or considered. From this 
moment on, no new bids can be accepted for any reason whatsoever. 
Late bids will 
Late bids will 
Late bids will 
Late bids will 
not be accepted but will be returned to the bidder
not be accepted but will be returned to the bidder
not be accepted but will be returned to the bidder
not be accepted but will be returned to the bidder
. 
17.13 Attendees should be invited to inspect the tender box to ensure that its seals 
remained intact, but they should not be allowed to touch the box. Once this review is 
completed and the attendees are seated, the Chairman should announce the start of 
Bid Opening and break the seals on the tender box, unlocking it.
17.14 The Chairman should remove each package/envelope from the tender box 
carefully examining the seals of the packages to make sure that they have not been 
tampered with, holding up each package so that attendees can see that it remained 
unopened. Each unopened package will then be placed on the top table until the 
tender box is empty. Packages shall receive consecutive numbers and shall be 
authenticated by the initials of the Chairman and Committee members present. Any 
corrections, deletions or additions in a tender shall be initialled by the Chairman. 
17.15 Any attendee who wants to take a closer look at any of the envelopes 
submitted may do so. However, attendees should never be allowed to touch any of 

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the bids or enter into a conversation with any member of the Opening Committee that 
cannot be clearly heard by all and recorded in the bid opening minutes. 
17.16 The outer packaging and envelope of each bid will then be removed, making 
sure that no documents are discarded that should be retained - like courier dockets or 
outer envelopes - as evidence of how a bid was marked and sealed. The unopened 
original and copy bid envelopes of each bidder will be placed in a pile together with 
the original on top and copies underneath.
17.17 The Secretary to the Committee will identify any envelopes marked either 
“WITHDRAWAL” or “MODIFICATION”, removing the outer packing and envelope in 
the same way as the main bids, discarding nothing that should be retained - like 
courier dockets or outer envelopes - as evidence of how a bid was marked and 
sealed, and place the unopened inner envelope with the corresponding Bid. 
17.18 The Secretary to the Committee will then open in turn each envelope (if any) 
marked “WITHDRAWAL”. Any bid with what appears to be a valid withdrawal notice 
will not be opened and the original and all copies of the bid will be returned unopened 
to the bidder. If there is a representative of the bidder present, he/she should be 
asked to confirm that the bid is to be withdrawn.
17.19 The Secretary to the Committee will then open each original bid, in turn 
passing it the Chair who will announce the following details in the presence of all 
those who are present: 
•
Name of the bidder or consultant; 
•
Country of the bidder or consultant; 
•
Which lot(s) are offered; 
•
Details of any modifications or withdrawals; 
•
Total bid price (for goods and works only); 
•
Discounts offered, if any; 
•
The presence or absence of the bid securing declaration or bid security 
(as applicable). 
17.20 The Chair will then pass the bid to the Finance Officer who will announce the 
type and amount of the bid security, if applicable.
17.21 Except for the late Bids, no bid is to be rejected at a bid opening, even if it 
appears to contain a major deviation such as the absence of a bid securing 
declaration or bid security. Any apparent major deviation that is noted during the bid 
opening should be announced and minuted. Late bids, received after the stipulated 
deadline for bid submission, shall be rejected and returned unopened to the bidder. 
Consultants’ Proposals
Consultants’ Proposals
Consultants’ Proposals
Consultants’ Proposals
17.22 Users should take note that only the technical envelopes of Consultants’ 
proposals should be opened at the first opening. The financial envelopes, still sealed, 
must be placed with a reputable third party, such as a public auditor. Only when the 
technical evaluation is completed, will the envelopes be requested from the third